


Sleepover

by Magical_Persona



Series: Elementary Sides [2]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:55:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27051517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magical_Persona/pseuds/Magical_Persona
Summary: Remus and Roman plan a sleepover for their small group of friends, but Janus can't go. Will this drive a wedge into this new found friendship?
Series: Elementary Sides [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1974352
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	1. Chapter 1

"We should have a sleepover at our house!" Remus exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly on the bleachers. Apparently, it was too cold for them to play outside today so they were all sitting in the gym.

Despite the heat of far too many bodies being packed in the space Janus and Virgil were huddled beside each other in sweatshirts. Janus was even still wearing his gloves from this morning.

"Remus, please sit down," Patton coaxed, tugging the boy's hand to get him to sit beside him.

Remus promptly sat in his lap, but that was better than having him shake the whole bleacher section where they were sitting. Remus was calmer like this, even sitting still enough to let Patton braid his hair.

"It's not a bad idea though," Logan said quietly. "We could watch movies and-"

"And eat lots of sweets!" Patton exclaimed only for Logan to shake his head.

Roman sighed. "That means we have to keep our rooms clean _all_ week! And I'm going to end up cleaning yours again, huh?"

"Nuh-uh!" Remus protest.

"Yeah-huh!" Roman argued. That's how it always happened. Roman would keep his room super clean and Remus never could so Roman would end up cleaning it. He still wanted to have his friends over and he wasn't going to let Remus ruin it!

Logan looked to Janus, wanting to know what he thought of the idea when he caught Janus rubbing at his eye. He gently took Janus' hand, pulling it away from the injured eye.

"Do you need your eye drops?" Logan asked, voice gentle, easily hidden under all the noise their friends were making.

Janus shook his head.

"Falsehood."

"What does that mean?"

"You're not telling the truth."

Janus looked to Virgil for help, but the boy had honed in on the argument stemming around what would be the best movie to watch. Everyone was focused on Patton who was throwing out idea after idea until they all drowned him out with their own suggestions. None of them would be any help. It was just him and Logan.

Janus took hold of the edge of Logan's shirt, following the taller boy to the small group of teachers.

Patton watched them go and once he was certain none of their small band had noticed it was up to him to stop the argument. "What if we did a...a…" he wished Logan were here. He'd know the word for it. "A thing where we watch more than one? We could watch one spooky movie and then a happy movie and then another spooky one?"

  
  


Logan looked down at the boy clinging to his shirt as they walked through the hall. "You can tell us when your eye bothers you."

"I'm not weak," Janus hissed through gritted teeth.

Logan wished he'd have traded with Patton just this once. He was smart, but he didn't know what to do when people talked about feelings. He didn't understand them. But Janus needed him so he'd have to do his best. What would Patton say?

"It's not weak to need help," Logan assured him. "We all need help. Remember when Mrs. Reed couldn't get the computer to work and Remus fixed it?"

Janus nodded, hand tightening in the fabric of Logan's shirt to avoid rubbing at his eye. If he bothered them too much they wouldn't want to be his friends anymore… Though that might not matter much anymore. The minute they found out he couldn't go to the sleepover they'd hate him. Or think he didn't like them.

"I want to go to the sleepover."

Logan blinked in confusion a few times not entirely sure how they'd gone from eyes to sleepovers. He was even more confused by the tone. It wasn't like when Remus and Roman pouted about not getting their way. It was a lot closer to when Virgil said 'panic attack' and clutched at his chest. Like there was no getting around it, only accepting it.

"Then ask your mom," Logan said. "I'm sure she'll let you go. She can even call Remus and Roman's mom if she wants."

Janus was shaking his head before Logan even finished. "I don't live with my parents."

"That's okay, Patton lives with his grandma," Logan gently placed a hand on Janus' shoulder. "You can still ask."

Janus simply nodded. How was he supposed to explain to Logan that he didn't live with his family? How was he supposed explain that he lived with people but they weren't family? They didn't even like him. How was he supposed to tell his friends he lived with kids who took the toaster outside to light cigarettes? That his family was gone. They were dead. Not in heaven Janus didn't think there was a heaven, though he'd never say that to Patton. His family was just dead and gone.

"You'll be mad if I'm not there," Janus' voice was quiet and his hand went back to his eye.

"We won't," Logan assured him. "You're still our friend, Jan. Do you know how many times Remus hasn't been allowed to go to one of Patton's sleepovers? Trust me, one sleepover isn't going to change that."

What about every other sleepover? Janus was too afraid to ask. He could already guess the answer. Even if he'd wanted to ask he couldn't, they were standing in front of the nurse's door.

When the nurse put the drops in his eye he winced each time. He wanted to reach for Logan's hand when they left, but he stopped himself. Logan didn't like contact.

"I _love_ having to do that," Janus muttered.

"Jan," Logan took the smaller boy's hand. "Does it at least make your eye feel better?"

Janus nodded. "It definitely _doesn't_ burn every time."

"Everytime?" Logan asked. "Have you told someone?"

Janus shrugged. "They said it's supposed to."

Logan wanted to ask who this 'they' was, but Janus was already pushing open the doors to the gym. There was no sense in bothering him about it when Janus was already clearly not in the mood.


	2. Chapter 2

The five of them were sitting in the middle of Roman's room in a pile of blankets and pillows. Paranorman, Remus' movie pick for the night, was almost over and Virgil had begun to shiver, seeking warmth in the blankets surrounding them.

Roman, as he tended to do, pulled the thin boy close, wrapping the two of them in a banket as the credits rolled.

"Who goes next?" Patton asked, looking between his friends.

"I think Roman should because it's his house," Logan pointed out.

"But you're the guests!" Roman protested.

There was a light knock at the door before a man poked his head around the half open door. "Boys, I just wanted to remind you if you need anything my room is right down the hall."

Roman and Remus both rolled their eyes. "Okay, dad."

"Thank you, Mr. Romulus!" Patton chirped quickly after and the man chuckled.

Roman waited until he heard the heavy footsteps of their dad retreat down the hall before he looked at Patton.

"You can pick next," Roman said with a smile. "And then Virgil, then me, and then Logan because he always picks ones that make everyone sleepy."

"It's not my fault you don't like learning," Logan huffed, crossing his arms. An action made far more adorable by the unicorn onesie he was wearing.

"School is for learning." Remus pointed out. "This isn't school. This is  _ fun _ ."

Patton chuckled as he looked over the movies. A gasp let Roman know he'd found the newest movie. Remus and Roman specifically bought it with Patton in mind.

"You guys have Ponyo!" Patton spun on his knees, bright blue eyes even bluer in the light from the TV that had been brought into the room just for tonight.

"Remus saw it and thought you'd like it," Roman explained, causing Remus to throw a pillow at him.

"Roman!" Remus hissed. "You weren't supposed to tell him that!"

"Why not? You thought he'd like it and you were right. Why's that bad?"

"Do you like having a brother?" Virgil's voice broke through the raising voices and stopped everyone in their tracks.

"I mean… he's annoying sometimes and he takes my clothes," Roman muttered, shooting a glare in Remus' direction. "But yeah. I like Remus. He's like a friend who can't really leave me."

"Yeah, I mean we fight sometimes," Remus added. "And Roman sings too loud in the shower and takes too long to brush his hair, but...you and Pat and Lolo seem so lonely without someone. I don't think I'd like that."

"Why?" It was Logan who asked, poking his head around the small blanket fort Roman had made around the two of them.

"Mom says someone's going to live with us," Virgil explained. "That it's someone who needs a family, but...but they're going to ruin mine. I… I like mine just the way it is. I don't want to fight for clothes or movies or dinner."

He looked up at Roman, tears filling his eyes. "I don't want mom to love me less."

"That's not how love works," Patton's voice was gentle as he joined the cuddles that were slowly enveloping Virgil. "Love is...Logan, what's the word for so big it never ends?"

"Infinite," their brainiac replied without hesitation.

"Love is infinite," Patton continued. "Just because you're friends with me doesn't mean you're less of friends with Roman or Logan. Love is the same way."

Virgil already didn't like this person. Whoever they were he knew they were going to ruin everything, but the way Patton was looking at him. With what Roman liked to call puppy eyes, Virgil knew he couldn't say that. So, he nodded his head and listened to Patton and Roman sing all the songs while Remus sang off pitched and tried to trick them into following.

That night the five of them fell asleep in the middle of Nightmare Before Christmas. All of them wishing their friend could have been there with them. Remus remembered looking at some of the toys and thinking Janus would like them.


End file.
